State Farm Stadium | Arizona Cardinals
State Farm Stadium | Arizona Cardinals
Sunday's game marked a significant moment for Jonah Williams, as the Cardinals secured a 30-17 victory over the Patriots. This win was particularly meaningful for Williams, who had not seen his team win in any of his starts this season.
"When I was hurt and watching the guys win, it was great to come into the locker room after and everyone is real positive and happy, but it's obviously a lot more fun when you're a part of it too," Williams shared on Monday. "I love the culture of this team, and it's cool to see that paying off with a win."
Williams returned to the starting lineup following a knee injury that had sidelined him. The Cardinals' offense struggled to find its rhythm in previous games but managed to make progress against the Patriots. Their efforts resulted in four red zone visits, including two rushing touchdowns by James Conner and one touchdown scored by Williams himself.
"I feel like we've come up short with a bunch of field goals in the last couple games and in this game, we were able to at least get in the end zone a couple of times which gives us a little bit of breathing room and puts them on their heels a little bit more," said Williams. "Getting in the red zone, it actually gets harder, not easier to score."
The team attempted to secure tight end Trey McBride's first receiving touchdown with a shovel pass near the goal line but did not succeed. Instead, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing opted for run plays featuring offensive lineman Jon Gaines II as fullback, clearing paths for Conner.
Conner achieved 110 yards on 16 carries while quarterback Kyler Murray completed 23-of-30 passes for 224 yards. Despite being pleased with the victory, Murray expressed some dissatisfaction with their performance.
"I thought it was efficient," he remarked. "I didn't think it was unbelievable, but I thought it was efficient."
Murray acknowledged areas for improvement on offense while appreciating support from their defense. Williams noted that their defensive stand during the third quarter helped shift momentum favorably.
Looking ahead to an important match against the Panthers, Williams emphasized maintaining focus and urgency despite Sunday's success.
"It's positive momentum for us," he stated. "From here on out we got to win them all and that's our mindset going into everything but there's definitely heightened sense of urgency."